1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to chucking mechanism for detachably retaining thereon a data storage disk having a center opening (e.g., CDs and DVDs), motors having the chucking mechanism, and a method of manufacturing the chucking mechanism.
2. Background of the Related Art
To a CD/DVD drive used for a personal computer (e.g., a laptop computer), a chucking mechanism detachably retaining a data storage disk having a center opening and a motor using thereof are adapted. Recently, reducing thickness of the laptop computer is called for, and it is demanded that the thickness of the CD/DVD drive used for laptop computers be reduced. Consequently, it is demanded that the thickness of the chucking mechanism and the motor having the same be reduced.
In general, the motor having the chucking mechanism includes a turn table being rotatable about a center axis and having a disk-placing surface on which the data storage disk is arranged, a chucking member arranged coaxial with the turn table and fitted into a center opening of the data storage disk to retain the data storage disk, and a bearing mechanism rotatably supporting the turn table. A chucking mechanism is generally defined by the turn table and the chucking member.
Conventionally, reducing the thickness of the motor having the chucking mechanism (i.e., an axial height of the motor) has been achieved by reducing axial lengths of components constituting the motor. However, it has been difficult to adapt the technique to further reduce the axial lengths of the motor.
For example, reducing the axial height of the bearing mechanism will result in degrading the rotational stability of the turn table. When an oil retaining bearing is used as the bearing mechanism of the motor, reducing the axial height of the bearing mechanism will result in reducing an amount of the oil reserved therein, shortening the bearing life of the motor. Thus, in order to maintain a preferable motor property, the axial height of the bearing mechanism should be preferably maintained.
As described above, it is generally difficult to reduce the axial height of the motor while maintaining a property of the motor.